Dialkyl esters of unsaturated dicarboxylic acids as insecticides



atented New. d, li id DIALKYL ESTERS or rmsa'rm'a'rnn DICARBOXYLIC Aclns as rmsnc'rronons William Moore and Richard 0. lltoblin, .lr., Stamford, Conn, assignors to American Cyanamid N. Y a corporation oi Company, New York Maine No Drawing. Application September It, 1940,

Serial No. 356,858

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to insecticides and is concerned more particularly with a series of compounds which have proven especially effective as contact poisons for the control of insects and allied pests and their eggs.

We have discovered that the dialkyl esters of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids in which there is an unsaturated linkage between the carbon atoms which carry the carboxyl groups possess powerful insecticidal and ovicidal activity against sucking, soft-bodied and scale insects and their eggs, for example the bean aphid, the citrus red spider and red scale, and that such activity is attained without any substantial harmful or detrimental action on the vegetation infested with the insect.

Typical vexamples of such compounds include dirnethyl fumarate, diethyl maleate, dipropyl fumarate, diisopropyl maleate, diallyl maleate, dibutyl fumarate, diamyl maleate, diisoamyl fumarate, diheptyl maleate, di(2-ethyl-hexyl) fumarate, dicapryl fumarate, di(2-ethylhexyl) maleate, didodecyl fumarate, ditetradecyl fumarate, ditetradecyl maleate, and dioctadecyl fumarate.

The following example illustrates a general method of preparing the above compounds in accordance with the invention.

EXAMPLE Spray solutions were prepared by dissolving the insecticidal compounds in a solvent medium' consisting of 65% acetone and 35% water. Table 1 shows the kills obtained under comparable conditions for the various dilutions when the sprays were applied to red spiders and aphids.

Table 1 Insect Compound Dilution Kill 1 Percent Citrus red sp1der Diallyl maleete 1-500 100 Do do 1-l,000 48.6 Do 1-500 100 Do 0 1-1,00o 95.3 Do Diisoamylfumarate. 11,000 100 Do.- .d0 12,000 75 Do i Di(2-ethylhexyl) iumarate 12,000 100 Do 74.1

75.5 100 Do o 1l,000 96.7 Black beanaphid Diallyl maleate 1-500 80.2

Diisoamyl fumarate 1-500 100 i.. do 1-1,000 55:7

Di(2-ethylhexyl) iumarate 1-500 87.2 Di(?rethylhexyl) malaate 1-500 99.1 Dicapryl iumarate. 1-500 95.3 Didodecyi iumara 1-500 100 -do l1,000 67.8

Water emulsions of the insecticidal compounds were prepared using dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate (140,000 dilution) as the emulsifier and wetting agent. Table 2 shows the kills obtained at a dilution of l-1000 when sprays of the emulsions were applied to active stages of the citrus red spider.

Table 2 Compound Kill Percent Dlisoemyl fumamte 81. 2 DiQothyUJexyI; iumarete 100 Di(2ethylhexyl maleate 89.6 Dicapryl iumerate Q0. 8 Didodecyl fumaratc 96. 5 Ditetradecyliumarate 100 Heretofore most insecticides have shown a wide difference of toxicity in combating red spider mites as compared to the effect on their eggs. In many instances the insecticidal substance would destroy the mite and then be found substantially non-toxic to its eggs. The series of compounds of the present invention have proven to be equally effective on both the mite and its eggs. as shown by the percentage-kills given in Table 3. The compounds were applied in water emulsion sprays using dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate (l-l0,000 dilution) as the emulsifying agent.

Table 3 These compounds are particularly efiective in penetrating the coverings of scale insects and hence destroy the insect more readily than substances commonly employed, such as for example mineral and vegetable oils. Table 4 shows the kills obtained on the resistant California red scale with the insecticides applied in water emulsion sprays (dioctyl sodium sulpho-succinate as the emulsifier, l-l0,000 dilution).

These compounds may also be used in conjunction with other insecticides to increase their effectiveness on insects such as mealy bugs which have considerable wax to penetrate before kill may be obtained. Table 5 shows the kills obtained when the insecticides were applied in water emulsions to mealy bugs.

[Mean percentage of three tests] l-500 dllul-760 dilul-l, 000 dilution tion tion Compound Red Red Red T spider Eggs spider Eggs spider Egg Di(2-ethylhexyl) fumarate 100 98.2 99.2 92.9 98.9 82 V Didodecyliumarete 99.1 99.2 99.4 94.7 93.2 97

Ditetradecyl iumarate..- 100 100 92.8 99 91.5 97.2

Table 5 Insecticide Dilution Kill Percent Dibenzylglycmonitrile l-500 79. 3 gig-ethylhexyl) animate kw 42.5

nzy g YCIIXOH l 8 ig-Brewin n i matei i-ag i nzygyc on r e DMZ-ethylhexyl) iumarate} l-500 1. An insecticidal composition containing di(2- ethylhexyl) fumarate.

2. A method of combatting sucking, soft-bodied and scale insects and their eggs which includes applying thereto a toxic quantity of di(2-ethylhexyl) fumarate.

3. An insecticidal composition containing a toxic amount of di(2-ethyl hexyl) fumarate and dibenzyl glycinonitrlle.

4. A method of combatting sucking, soft-bodied and scale insects and their eggs which'includes applying thereto a toxic quantity of di(2-ethyl hexyl) fumarate and dibenzyl glycinonitrile.

5. An insecticidal composition containing a dialkyl ester of a lower aliphatic dicarboxylic acid which contains a double bond between the adjacent carbon atoms which carry the carboxyl groups.

6. A method of combating sucking, soft-bodied and scale insects and their eggs, which includes applying thereto a toxic quantity of a dialkyl ester 0 of a lower aliphatic dicarboxylic acid which contains a double bond between adjacent carbon atoms which carry the carboxyl group WILLIAM MOORE. RICHARD O. ROBLIN. JR. 

